Social Media and Your Presentation

Engage with the audience before, during and after the Academy's annual meeting.

Before The Meeting

The Academy will help you promote your sessions before the meeting by providing images and suggested text for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. You also can add the image to your website.

Customize your social media posts as desired, using your session's code, day, time and topic, depending on space. Make sure the final post includes the meeting hashtag, #aao2019, and a link to aao.org/annual-meeting.

During the Meeting

Photography and Social Media Policy

The American Academy of Ophthalmology’s policy for the use of photography and social media at the Academy’s annual meeting and Subspecialty Day is intended to strike a balance between the needs of scientists, physicians and other health care professionals, patients, and advocates for the latest ophthalmic information and the needs of presenters to protect their proprietary content from unauthorized use.

Clearly identify any slides that you do not want shared on social media.

Non-flash photography is allowed for personal, social or non-commercial use.

Attendees taking photos must do so in a non-disruptive manner so as not to disturb the presenter and other attendees.

Slides with patient faces or other identifiable information cannot be shared on social media due to HIPAA regulations.

Twitter

Presenters are encouraged to tweet about their sessions. Use the official meeting hashtag #aao2019 to have your tweet appear in the Academy 2019 Twitter feed.

Conference attendees increasingly use social media during multi-day events like the Academy's annual meeting. The 140-character message limit and ease of “live tweeting” by mobile phone makes Twitter the tool for interacting with presenters and fellow attendees. You can expect that at least some of those attending your presentation(s) may spend much of it bent over their smartphones. While the change in eye contact can be disconcerting, recent studies show that “live tweeting” presentations actually increases listener retention because their posts serve a similar function to note taking.

Twitter gives you a chance to continue the conversation with audience members after your presentation. It can even provide immediate feedback on your talk. If you prepare accordingly, social media can enrich your presentation for both you and your audience.

If You’re Already on Twitter:

Post a tweet or two before the meeting to promote your session (see above). Plus, include your twitter handle.

Include your username in relevant presentation slides. If you want audience members to “mention” you when they share quotes or points from your talk, share your username at the beginning. (Example, “Great #yoprogram moderation by @bill_lloyd this morning.”)

Encourage attendees to continue the conversation with you on Twitter after your presentation.

Remind attendees to use the official meeting hashtag with all posts from the presentation.

Review the meeting hashtag feed after your session to see if audience members shared quotes or asked questions. Respond or retweet as you see fit.

If You’re NOT on Twitter:

Don’t feel compelled to create an account right before the meeting .

Consider reviewing the #aao2018 hashtag feed to see how Twitter was used during AAO 2018. You don’t need a Twitter account to access this history.